Shell Lubricants Egypt (SLE) hosted its Fourth Annual Leadership Conference in the Red Sea, bringing together leading experts to discuss challenges and opportunities in Egypt’s energy future.
8th November 2014, Red Sea, Egypt: Shell kicked off its fourth annual Shell Technology Leadership Conference (STLC) yesterday in Sahl Hasheesh, Hurghada. Themed ‘Energy Conservation’, the conference brought together senior representatives from the corporate, government, academia and non-government organizations (NGOs) to share practical solutions to the country’s energy problems. Over the course of two days, representatives agreed that a cross-sector, holistic approach that links the efforts of both the private and public sectors will be paramount in addressing Egypt’s rising energy needs.
According to the Ministry of Petroleum, Egypt’s growing energy needs have already cost the country around LE 365 Billion this year alone. That figure is set to increase based on research by the US Energy Information Agency, which states that Egypt is already Africa’s largest oil and natural gas consumer, accounting for more than 20% of total oil consumption and more than 40% of total natural gas consumption in 2013.
In his keynote address, Mr. Jeroen Regtien, Vice President and Country Chairman of Shell Egypt N.V, stated that “Shell is proud to have contributed to Egypt’s growth for the last 100 years through our on-going commitment and sustained partnerships. I am certain that these partnerships will continue and will strengthen as we explore, together, creative ways to sustain Egypt’s economic growth but also to address the country’s need for more energy. This event embodies Shell’s aspiration to be a leading player in Egypt’s energy future.”
He added that regulatory and commercial reforms that will play a key role in helping Egypt become energy independent and that a key contributor to this success is regulatory and commercial reforms, which in turn will help fuel Egypt’s economic progress and provide long-term energy security.
Mr. Saher Hashem, Managing Director of Shell Lubricants Egypt reiterated this message by highlighting the conferences growth over the past three years. “This is Shell’s Fourth Technology Leadership Conference in Egypt, which has earned a reputation as one of Egypt’s leading energy conferences, featuring speakers and audiences representing a wide spectrum of industries as well as businesses to address challenges and solutions. Last year, the event featured more than 80 top local and international companies operating in Egypt, with 300 representatives from the business world, NGOs, government agencies and the media. This year I am delighted that turnout has exceeded 400 guests and will no doubt result in fruitful level of engagement at all levels.”
Prominent guests included Professor Hafez El Salamawy, Managing Director of the Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency, Mr. Bruno Carre, CEO of Suez Cement Group and Italcementi Middle East Zone Director, Dr. Mohamed Bayoumi, Assistant Resident Representative and Environment Team Leader, UNDP Egypt, and Mr. Ahmed Zahran, CEO and co-founder of KarmSolar SAE.
Speakers discussed a variety of topics, including issues related to energy efficient opportunities and conservation programs, as well as the barriers and prospects in integrating energy conservation and best practices from industry leaders. Advances in lighting and solar energy were also presented with various case studies demonstrating their application in Egypt. Speakers also took part in multiple technical sessions to discuss innovations in lubrication, oil analysis and energy reliability in addition to best practices in manufacturing using Shell products.
The event concluded with participants taking part in a panel discussion to recap important points over the two-day conference and exploring opportunities for collaboration among various parties.
Bringing the conference to an end, Mr. Regtien said in his closing statement that “human ingenuity, innovation and technology hold the key to unlocking the energy needed today and in the future as well as addressing CO2 emissions and realizing our overarching goal of reducing consumption. We at Shell thrive on such challenges and have been a technology pioneer for more than a century, and are continuing to develop innovative technology solutions to deliver the energy our customers need, opening up new resources and producing more from existing fields.”